Gliding risk....

For those who haven’t seen it....

https://chessintheair.com/the-risk-o...-what-we-love/

I quit reading when the data presented listed motorcycling safer than ‘gliding’. By 100%.
Hmmm.....don’t think so.
R

Well, I challenge you to find any study where gliding isn’t AT LEAST as dangerous as motorcycling.

On Wednesday, October 30, 2019 at 9:54:26 PM UTC-4, wrote:
I quit reading when the data presented listed motorcycling safer than ‘gliding’. By 100%.
Hmmm.....don’t think so.
R

I disagree with some of his numbers but his take that gliding is more dangerous than motorcycling is plausible based on what I've seen other people puzzle out. Relative risk is meaningless we choose these things based on how much they amuse us. If you are no longer amused find something else to do..

On Thursday, 31 October 2019 02:54:26 UTC+1, wrote:
I quit reading when the data presented listed motorcycling safer than ‘gliding’. By 100%.
Hmmm.....don’t think so.
R

Think again.

I've never lost a friend in any hobby-related, driving or other accident, except one in gliding competition mid-air.

On Wednesday, October 30, 2019 at 11:15:50 PM UTC-7, krasw wrote:
On Thursday, 31 October 2019 02:54:26 UTC+1, wrote:
I quit reading when the data presented listed motorcycling safer than ‘gliding’. By 100%.
Hmmm.....don’t think so.
R

Think again.

I've never lost a friend in any hobby-related, driving or other accident, except one in gliding competition mid-air.

I find that the one's most likely to be involved in accidents don't read articles like this one.

Tom

At 01:54 31 October 2019, wrote:
I quit reading when the data presented listed motorcycling safer than
=E2=
=80=98gliding=E2=80=99. By 100%.
Hmmm.....don=E2=80=99t think so.=20
R


Why? I have been doing both activities for 40 years plus and have lost
more friends and acquaintances to gliding (and more injured) than
motorcycling, and that included time as a London dispatch
rider........p.s. a lot of my friends and acquaintances also ride or have
ridden motorcycles around the world. Perception's are often untrue..
stop being an ostrich.

On Thursday, October 31, 2019 at 3:54:26 AM UTC+2, wrote:
I quit reading when the data presented listed motorcycling safer than ‘gliding’. By 100%.
Hmmm.....don’t think so.
R

It depends a lot on what is included in motorcycling. If you include the millions who use scooters as their daily commute in the Far East puttering along at 30km/h, then motorcycling would be considered as pretty low risk. If you consider just the people using the motorcycle as a hobby and think of superbikes racing at crazy speeds in traffic or on mountain roads, then the statistics related to risk become very different. But even considering just superbikes, I have lost more friends gliding than motorcycling.

Clinton

On Wednesday, October 30, 2019 at 8:54:26 PM UTC-5, wrote:
I quit reading when the data presented listed motorcycling safer than ‘gliding’. By 100%.
Hmmm.....don’t think so.
R

R,

About motorcycling versus gliding, and the former being safer, but does not seem to be that way. It is difficult not to quickly compare things without using apples to apples. Been there, done that.

I am no statistician but there are two things that spring to mind;

- How many motorcyclists are there versus glider pilots? Certainly many more.
- How many motorcycle trips (or miles) are taken in a year versus glider flights? Certainly many more.

So even if there are many more motorcycle fatalities than glider fatalities the number of FATALITIES PER TRIP (or MILE) are STATISTICALLY less for motorcyclists. Thus motorcycling is considered "safer". Hmmm, indeed.

How about car travel? Accidents are very common and we have all seen them and maybe even been in a few. On the other hand very, very few of us has even SEEN a glider accident or, thankfully, been in one. So it would SEEM that car travel is much more dangerous. Not so STATISTICALLY. There are immensely more car trips (or miles) than other forms of transportation (except airline per passenger mile) so car travel is STATISTICALLY safer than everything else.

But I would rather fly a glider than drive a car.

"Not a Stat Guy" John

Most good analysis try to compare activities hour for hour. So how risky is an hour of motorcycle riding vs an hour of Gliding. This is done to as much as possible eliminate the issues pointed out about the frequency of the activity or the number of people doing it.

Most of the analysis I have done and observed seem to indicate the GA Aviation over all is has about the same risk as riding a motorcycle hour per hour. Gliders seem to be a bit worse. But as with motorcycles there are riskier kinds of activities that get lumped into the over all numbers like Low thermalling, flying in bad weather, Low finishes. So even with the overall number you can individually improve your odds depending on what kinds of risks you are willing to accept.

Brian
CFIIG/ASEL